


leave this long-haired country boy alone.

by cp035



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen, I Blame Tumblr, Male-Female Friendship, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-04
Updated: 2014-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-03 09:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1739252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cp035/pseuds/cp035
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's time for Charlie (and Meryl's) annual summer haircut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	leave this long-haired country boy alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the stunning quality of these two's social media yesterday. So fluffy and saccharine that I'm recommending those of you with blood sugar issues to take your insulin now or forever hold your peace.

"Well, this place had the best reviews on Yelp.", said Jacqui. Beside her, Cheryl snickered. 

 

"Do you really think it's going to get any easier now that _these two_ -", she nudged Charlie's shoulder as he pouted "- are _apparently_ self-sufficient adults? Who are you, and where's my friend Jacqui?" 

 

Charlie, Meryl, and their mothers stood outside what the internet promised was one of Cincinnati's best walk-in hair parlors, a stout, split-level building on the corner of a vibrant shopping district. Across the street, there were several eye-catching boutiques, a bookstore, and a sushi shack selling boxes out of an open side window. Meryl would have never thought Ohio was anywhere close to heaven, but that could change _very_ soon given their surroundings. 

 

"C'mon...my hair is a huge part of my um, _marketability_.", Charlie said, sheepishly. 

 

"Yeah, and he already needs all the help he can get. I'd never buy something with that face on it.", Meryl teased. 

 

"Oh, the feeling's mutual, I can't even eat Frosted Flakes anymore because you keep looking at me on the box." They shared matching, goofy, grins- before Charlie protested further. "But I mean, since we're here meeting sponsors, don't you think we should, you know- have the same image?"

 

"That's right! Meryl, I've been meaning to say, you should get a trim, too. You may as well, since you're going to be here anyway.", Jacqui said, 

 

" _No._ " 

 

" _That's right, Meryl_. I think your extensions are starting to fray a little...", laughed Charlie, mimicking his mother. He couldn't resist, and didn't even regret it when Meryl's tiny hand slapped against his chest.

 

" _I don't have extensions, you jerk._ " 

 

"All the more reason to get a few inches off. Especially in the front, the bangs are getting a little bit too long, you know.", Cheryl added. "You'll look fabulous. And you don't want you hair getting caught in your swimsuit when you're all on vacation." 

 

"Oh, I remember that, at the lakehouse? I know it wasn't funny then, but _now_ -", Jacqui was interrupted, to Meryl's relief, by the sound of her phone ringing in her purse. "-I'm sure this is probably Dad, Charlie. How many times do I have to-" 

 

Jacqui fumbled with her phone, and Cheryl gave their children a somewhat sympathetic look over. Sure, they were really all grown up now, gold medallists and all of that, but at the end of the day, they were still Meryl and Charlie, those two crazy kids who loved to skate as much as they absolutely dreaded getting their summer haircuts. When they were younger, it had been much easier to keep their hair at a good, manageable length, but as they had gotten older, the hair just got more and more, frankly- _ridiculous._

 

Of course, the fact Charlie's hair had somehow gotten it's own Twitter account, and people endlessly complementing Meryl's "princess" locks made their yearly chore even worse. Still, Meryl and Charlie were nothing if not consistent, and they consistently fell for the same trick every time; Jacqui and Cheryl would plan to take them out for brunch, add a stroll though the shopping districts to the days agenda, and drop off their children in front of a nice hair salon that Jacqui- _head of research_ ; would have probably looked up the night before. Meanwhile, the Moms would take themselves shopping, and usually, Cheryl- _head of development_ , would pick up little rewards for them: usually new books, or something nice from one of the shops.

 

Paul Davis called it "the definition of insanity." Big Charlie thought it was endlessly hilarious.

 

"Well, Charlie, your Mom and I will be just across the street. My mystery novel collection needs some fresh blood, so we'll see you-", Cheryl told them as she led Jacqui, who was shouting into her phone about how they simply couldn't afford a new oven again, to the crossing, "-in about a couple of hours? Meryl, just call my cell if anything's wrong."

 

"This is _so_ wrong. I can't believe them.", Meryl muttered, her arms crossed over her chest. She huffed out an exasperated breath. 

 

"Well, we might as well get it over with.", Charlie sighed, pulling open the door for his partner. "Maybe I can get away with buying a bottle of gel and doing that thing where it all goes on top with a little wave like Bruno Mars." 

 

Meryl couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips, in spite of their current predicament. "You are an inspiration."

 

"Glad to be of help, as always.", he said, their hands slipping into each others he followed her through the door.

 

Inside, the parlor was quiet, save for a baseball game playing on the flat-screen in the waiting area, and two little girls eagerly chatting with a hairstylist who was giving their mother a haircut. A woman sat behind the reception desk, smacking her gum and reading an issue of People from the year 2013. If Charlie hadn't been raised to be a polite Midwestern gentleman, he would have made a joke about time travel out loud, though he didn't need to open his mouth to know Meryl had gotten it.

 

 _Charlie!_ He could practically hear the admonishment in his head, too. Some things really would never change, he hoped. 

 

"Hi, how are you doing today, ma'am?", he asked. 

 

"Fine. What are you selling?", she replied, hardly looking up from the magazine.

 

"Uh…I'm Charlie, and this is my-" Suddenly, Charlie's train of thought ran itself straight into a ditch and imploded. Meryl was never _just_ a friend, and it would have felt incredibly awkward to suddenly say " _my friend, Meryl_ ", like she was only someone he had met in passing twice who had said something funny he remembered her for. If he said " _my partner, Meryl_ ", it would sound like he and Meryl were married or dating, and they couldn't be- since he had Tanith.

 

"I'm _Meryl_. Hi. We were wondering if you had some time to…", she paused, as if the words she were about to say were wholly disgusting, "- _give both of us a little trim for the summer?_ I don't want any more than a couple inches off, so we won't take long."

 

"Hm. Yeah, go sit over there, when he's done I'll just pull you two. Pick a look you like. We can't really give refunds and returns as easy as they can at WalMart, and you know, you don't wanna make any mistakes.", she said, scribbling their names in a notepad beside the time. Charlie shot Meryl a look and feigned a gulp. She rolled her eyes at him, and pulled him by the hand over to a rack of older magazines and styling look books.

 

Once the receptionist was occupied again only with last season's American Idol winner and their stylist was deep in conversation with one of his client's girls, Meryl tugged urgently at Charlie's sleeve.

 

"What?"

 

"What was _that_?"

 

Charlie shrugged, and threw himself backwards in the waiting room chair, tapping his foot nervously on the tile floor.

 

"I was just thinking of something. Like, where we are, you know?"

 

"Hell, basically. Are my bangs really getting too long?", Meryl asked, leafing through a magazine from 2012, her eyes trained to an article about some reality show star.

 

He knew as well as she did that there was a massive elephant ( _did elephants come in sizes other than massive?_ ) in the room, and she knew as well as he did that the jokes and banter between then were a thin, transparent cover over the decisions that they would have to make in the looming competition season. They were retiring, and then, not retiring. Only doing shows, and then cancelling on the smaller engagements to make room for more classes. Classes, which were slipping rapidly down their list of priorities and then somehow rocketing back up in the middle of the night, when they each tried to envision life without skating, and inevitably, life without each other.

 

This was what Charlie truly dreaded each year about the summer haircut. It was the time when he and Meryl made their plans for the next year; and before- those plans had been one of two things. In the bad seasons, it was obviously; to do as well as they knew they could. In the better seasons, they needed to be better than they knew to be right then. It was stressful, and emotionally draining sometimes; having to relive every minor failure and tiny inconsistency to kill it dead in the new season.

 

_But now…_

 

"Well, I don't want to be a downer, but they kinda are? I mean, it's your life and all, but I miss seeing your eyes."

 

"Ugh. I miss not seeing your face.", Meryl shot back. "Those were the good times."

 

She patted his thigh and looked up at him with a sideways, yet still reassuring grin on her face. "And these are the _great_ ones."

 

" _Oh my God._ You're turning into a cheeseball.", Charlie groaned. He had been completely prepared for Meryl's yearly recap of their ups and downs, not for her to start sounding like the goddamned Pure Michigan commercials.

 

"That's why you love me.", she teased, and at that- Charlie had to smile, too.

 

"What if we got blue highlights? That's an American color, and it might make our moms think twice before trying this again next year.", Charlie suggested, flipping open one of the styling books.

 

"What do you mean trying this _again_?"

 

Suddenly, Meryl's interest was piqued. Surely, scheduling she and Charlie's summer haircuts together was madness, but come to think of it, they'd always been together on those days anyway; so it just made sense. There definitely couldn't be a method to all of this, unless-

 

" _Oh my God._ "

 

"You seriously never noticed? They always do this- they take us out for brunch and we go to these little outdoor malls and then they make us get haircuts. If it makes you feel any better; they always get us stuff after; like remember that really nice blue sweater from last year? Or that green hoodie you like that I've had forever?"

 

"I can't _believe_ those old harpies raised us. That's…I don't know what to think anymore.", Meryl chuckled. "I mean, it's genius, but-"

 

" _Twisted._ So twisted. I thought so, too."

 

Charlie was toying with the ring around her finger, and she was tracing patterns into the back of his hand. Weird as they probably looked, Charlie couldn't help but find it comforting, how close they could still be even though the glue which had held them together for so long was starting to pull apart, easier and easier every day.

 

_Wherever we're going, we'll get there, won't we?_

 

* * *

 

 

Two hours later, Meryl was perched on the bathroom sink counter, raking a gooey hand through Charlie's cropped hair.

 

"I'm not sure I can get the wave thing exactly right, but at least it's not drooping in the front anymore…", she murmured, capping the bottle of gel Charlie had insisted they purchase after taking his first, tentative look in the mirror.

 

" _I look like every high school senior getting ready for prom._ ", he had told her, horrified. Meryl would have had the manners to at least be embarrassed on behalf of the hairstylist, if she hadn't been so taken aback by how different Charlie looked with his hair cut short, the curls piled on top and the sides shaved close like he wasn't her _partner_ , but every guy their age out on the street. Well, that- and his roots were showing; which was horrifying in itself. It Charlie hadn't been so traumatized already, she would have paid for his dye job there, too, although seeing the hack job they'd done with her own hair; Meryl was fairly certain the first thing she would do once they got back to their hotel was see if her straightener could work some magic, and then _ruin_ the salon's Yelp reputation.

 

" _I don't know_ …but at least it looks a little better than yours."

 

" _Charlie!_ "

 

"What?", he laughed, pivoting to avoid the smack aimed at the center of his chest. "I mean, I think now's as good a time as any to start looking into _actually_ getting extensions."

 

"Is it really that bad?" She looked a bit apprehensive, tugging on the longer layers as if she were trying to will her hair to grow the three inches back overnight. Most people wouldn't have noticed, and it surely wasn't as drastic as Charlie's cut, but _still-_

 

"It looks fine. I'm just messing with you, 'cause you still let me."

 

"I hate you. _So much_."

 

Charlie offered her his hand to help her jump down from the counter.

 

"Yeah, but you love me more, so we're _stuck_."

 

_Stuck's a good way of putting it._

 

"C'mon. Let's call our moms and tell them we decided to get matching mohawks _just in time_ for that interview tomorrow.", said Charlie, pulling his partner towards the door.

 

Meryl giggled in spite of herself. " _Oh, sweet, sweet, revenge…_ "

í

**Author's Note:**

> *whispers* I know I didn't mention Tanith and Charlie's Instagram proves this whole thing totally implausible but it's fan *fiction*, remember? Hope you guys enjoyed it!


End file.
